Romans 16
All Nations
What Paul saw in his day was a world who had not heard the Gospel
Now look at the world, the Gospel has spread almost everywhere
The Word of God is no longer hand written
The communication of the Good News has advanced
Beyond the imagination of anyone before us
So, when in doubt, zoom out
God sees a bright future and wants you to see it, too
Although God sees you, He is able to see the nations, too
As
He is at work in you, He is at work in the nations
so that all nations might believe and obey him—
All Nations
Today, we come to the sixth closing impact
statement of Paul in the letter to the Romans…
1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel
2. and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
3. according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
4. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings
5. by the command of the eternal God,
6. so that all nations might believe and obey him—
All Nations
There is a saying among stock traders….
“Whenever in doubt, move out.”
Each stock has a chart to show price movement over time.
On a candle chart each candle represents a unit of time,
like one minute or fifteen minutes, or one day and so on.
If the last candle is lower than the next candle…
The price of the stock is going up
And if the previous candle is higher…
Then the price of the stock is going down.
You and I live in the moment.
We make decisions in view of time.
What we do will affect the future.
If you are at a restaurant looking at the menu,
you are making a decision for the moment,
short term enjoyment and maybe a longer
view for future health.
Getting married, buying a house,
getting a job or education
are all decisions that will affect
today and your future.
Having children affects today and generations
long after you and I are gone.
If we were able to put our lives on a chart like a stock…
We could look at a chart where every candle
was a minute or
each candle was a day, a week or year.
Each chart would look very different
even though they all would be
charting the same thing, your life.
Traders who look at a one-minute chart
might see one candle after another getting
lower and think the market is going down.
But if they zoom out to a chart
with candles representing one day…
They might see the market is going up
and though the minutes may seem dark,
the over all picture is very good.
Imagine God’s view…
The Bible says 1000 years is as one day.
As we might look at a daily chart…
God zooms out and looks at life with
1000 years representing one candle.
One day that seems to be a big deal
to us is not noticed on a chart
where 1000 years is one candle.
Paul says…
“All Nations”.
Although God says…
He will never leave us or forsake us.
Therefore, you and I can count on His presence
every moment of our life.
God also sees families and nations.
He recognizes every union of a man and a woman
and the view of every child to become
part of a family and nation.
He sees the big picture
and the small picture of you and I.
Imagine your family in 1000 years…
How may descendants will there be?
Where will they live?
God’s view is more than the daily chart.
He wants all nations “to believe and obey”.
If you live in a small community
where most of your neighbors are family…
God is there to help all believe and obey.
If you and your family are
spread out all over the world…
God is there in the nation working
so all might believe and obey.
Even if you can’t understand
the political environment around you…
From ages past,
from the time of Adam and Eve….
People, like you and I, have lived in the moment.
Our days matter and we charted life.
But the direction of our good days and bad days….
From the beginning of the ages…
God looks at the chart where
there is one candle for each 1000 years.
We are still making the 7th candle.
If each candle is 365,000
than 7 candles is 2,555,000.
If you are looking at your days
and feel discouraged….
And you think the candles of your life
are heading down and
in doubt of the future…
Then zoom out.
The seven candles of the ages are all heading up.
God is revealing His plan
and making known to the nations
His love and provisions.
So, when in doubt about life…
Zoom out and see what God has done
from the beginning of time.
What Paul saw in his day was a world
who had not heard the Gospel.
Now look at the world…
The Gospel has spread almost everywhere.
The Word of God is no longer hand written.
The communication of the Good News has
advanced beyond the imagination of anyone before us.
So, when in doubt…
Zoom Out
God see a bright future
and wants you to see it, too.
Although God sees you,
He is able to see the nations, too.
As He is at work in you,
He is at work in the nations…
So that all nations might believe and obey him—
1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel
2. and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
3. according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
4. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings
5. by the command of the eternal God,
6. so that all nations might believe and obey him—
7. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Scripture Reading
Romans 16:25-27 NIV
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
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